The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is losing a CEO credited with bringing new energy and fresh thinking to the high-profile organization.
Jennifer Sampson has decided to step down from the organization later this year, it said in an announcement on Thursday. A search is on for a new CEO, a position she held for 15 years.
Sampson, who has been at the organization for about 25 years overall, will stay at the group through the end of September. She will provide continuity and strategic direction during the organization’s search for its next CEO. Sampson will assume the role of CEO of The Stephens Greth Foundation, the philanthropy founded by oil heiress Lyndal Stephens Greth and her husband, Richard Greth.
Under the leadership of Sampson, the organization, which had fallen into a bit of a rut, saw a transformation that reshaped the group’s strategy and positioned it as a national model for data-driven, outcomes-focused philanthropy, the announcement said.
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“Jennifer has been a visionary leader for our region,” Antonio Carrillo, chair of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas board of directors and president and CEO of Arcosa said in a statement. “She also leaves it in the strongest financial position in its history — the result of both record-breaking revenue growth and rigorous financial discipline.”
Sampson raised well over $1 billion in philanthropic resources alongside her team — leading and closing the inaugural $100 million Unite Forever endowment campaign three years ahead of schedule. She also launched “Greater Than,” an $800 million second-century campaign, the announcement said.
During her time as leader, the group deepened engagement with corporate leadership, expanding partnerships with major employers and establishing initiatives that align business and community priorities, it said.
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Sampson grew up in Arlington, riding the Shock Wave at Six Flags and working at Rangers games. After graduating from Baylor, she got her CPA and moved to the city to work as an auditor for Arthur Andersen. She would join the United Way in 2001 — and would be COO before getting the job of CEO.
She would enlist the help of global CEOs to head the annual fund drive and secured the high-profile support of Cowboys great Troy Aikman, among many other efforts.
“Jennifer has led United Way of Metropolitan Dallas through one of the most significant transformations in its history,” said Terri West, chair of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation board of directors. ”She has ensured that the organization enters its second century stronger, more focused and better equipped to deliver measurable impact for the people of North Texas.”
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